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Albert Thomas Arthur Stickler (1882-1910)
|contributors=Nathanville }} Albert Thomas Arthur Stickler, named after his grandfather, Thomas Arthur VC (c1835-1902) aka Thomas McArthur was born to Thomas Stickler (1858-1931) and Jeanetta Arthur in Bristol on 14 January 1882. Albert Stickler ran a Confectionery & Tobacconist shop at 312 Gloucester road, Bishopston, Bristol, registered in 1901 to Arthur T Stickler; he was also a Silversmith. He married Maud Lilley Burgess (1875-1962) in Bristol on 4 February 1906. They had their first child, Harold Thomas Arthur Stickler (also named after Thomas Arthur VC (c1835-1902) in Bristol on 9th March 1907; and two years later, in 1909, they immigrated to Australia. Their second son, Donald Arthur Stickler was born in Australia on 22nd June 1911, six months after the tragic death of his father (Albert Thomas Arthur Stickler 1882-1910). Immigration to Australia - And to a Tragic Death On 28th August 1909 Albert Stickler and his family left London on the SS Rippingham Grange. They arrived in Brisbane, Australia on 21st October. In Australia he worked at the Einsley Station; a large sheep and cattle station near the border of Queensland and Northern Territory. Traditionally, at this Station, when one person wasn't busy they would lend a hand to someone else. They still kill their own stock for meat at the Station. In December 1910, only a year after arriving in Australia, Albert Thomas Arthur Stickler (1882-1910) met with a tragic death! The cemetery at Einsley Station (where his gravestone is) being surrounded by dingo-proof fence. Below is an extract from Pat Bang's letter (his granddaoughter, Patricia Helen Stickler 1932-1995) dated 20th November 1987 describing the unfortunate event: "My Grandfather Albert Thomas Arthur Stickler was taken by a Crocodile at Einsley Station. This happened within a year arriving in Australia. On the Station when one wasn't busy with his work, one would help another. This day my Grandfather was helping the Butcher on the Station. After the butchering was done Grandfather went to the nearest creek they used (in place of a bathroom) to wash off the blood etc. He couldn't swim very well either and was shy at practising so preferred to do so in private (I think the other men used to tease him about it). Unfortunately it is this that led to his death. Later that day when people realised he wasn't "around the Station" a search was made. They found him half buried in the bottom of the creek. Crocodiles don't eat their victims straight away they let them decompose first. My Grandfather was buried at Einsley Station, a little cemetery of the Station with a dingo proof fence around it. Dad (Donald Arthur Stickler 1911-1986) told me his father was buried two days before the Police came on horseback. They had to bury their people quickly up north, after all there wasn't any refrigeration in those days. This happened when Grandma (Maud Lilley Burgess 1875-1962) was three months pregnant with Dad (Donald Arthur Stickler 1911-1986). It was a hard life out West in those days. Even with modern equipment it can still he a very hard and rugged life, with the bores drying up and no rain etc". External links *The Stickler Roots, Pvlcrecerce - Brigstowe __SHOWFACTBOX__